Most homes are equipped for the frosty weather with their furnaces, boilers, fireplace inserts, or freestanding stoves. However, it’s important to be mindful of what you use to fuel them because of prolonged usage.
Consequently, nothing beats wood pellets in terms of a viable home heating solution! They are efficient, economical, sustainable, renewable, and easy-to-use heating systems. To help you choose, we rounded up the best wood pellets for heating. Read on as we elaborate on our choices and fill you in on our selection criteria.
Quick Guide – Our Top Picks
Best Premium Hardwood Fuel Pellets
Benefits Of Using Wood Pellets For Heating
Heating your home with wood pellets has many benefits. Here are a few main advantages:
- You can adjust to different temperature settings with a thermostat or remote control
- They are energy efficient — 90% of energy is utilized
- No special chimney installation required
- They can work non-stop for 12 to 24 hours
- They are cheaper than gas or wood
- They are sustainable and renewable
- They are clean and safe burning
Wood Pellets For Heating Compared
Factors To Consider When Buying Wood Fuel Pellets
Pellet Quality
Always prioritize getting quality wood fuel pellets; luckily, determining their standard is quite straightforward.
It would be best if your chosen wood pellet had little to no cracks because a smooth surface indicates that they are well compressed.
Good compression of pellets is all the more significant because they will have extra mass and burn better, hotter, and longer.
Plus, a smooth surface also shows that they have been properly dried, and the level of moisture is low enough to provide better ignition.
Furthermore, crumbly and cracked wood pellets contain excessive moisture because of inadequate compression. And these wood pellets will provide a low-performing, less effective burn.
Heat Output (BTUs Per Pound)
Higher ratings ensure you are getting optimal heat power for the money you pay. The best-performing wood pellets have a BTU rating of about 8000-8600, and pellets with a ‘moisture free’ label usually have a higher BTU rating. This label means the manufacturer has completely removed water from the pellets to provide better heat output.
At times, the label can be deceptive as retailers rarely store them in a moisture-free environment, so it’s better not to use this sticker as an indicator.
A good rule of thumb would be to search for pellets with a BTU rating of about 8300-8900.
Hardwood Vs. Softwood
Hardwood trees contain beech and oak. These kinds of woods are used frequently in making premium-quality furniture.
Homeowners tend to link these woods with high-heat production and impressive burning, but such is not always the case.
The softwood pellets for heating, such as pine, cedar, and spruce, contain better heat output than most hardwood stove pellets.
Simply put, if you want to optimize heat production, choose one of these wood pellets. However, if you are looking for adequate heating, clean and consistent burn, and better aroma, choose hardwood stove pellets.
Ash & Moisture Content
When it comes to moisture content, always look for wood pellets with a minimal percentage of it.
Low moisture content is known to quickly ignite, as opposed to moisture-ridden pellets.
Therefore, you should always look for wood pellets with a moisture content level below 6.5%.
Besides low moisture content, you should also focus on buying pellets with low ash content. This is significant because if your pellets create excessive ash, your stove won’t operate efficiently.
To get maximum performance, look for wood pellets that have ash content up to 3%.
Burn Time
The burn time is based on the type and size of the wood pellets stove you use. These features tell you a lot about how long you have before installing new ones.
However, that isn’t the sole factor. Burn time also depends on the quality of wood and moisture content.
A typical 40-pound bag of wood fuel pellets can burn about 23 hours at most.
PFI Standard Quality Mark
Pellet Fuels Institute is an independent body allowing homeowners and consumers to determine premium quality wood pellets from reliable manufacturers.
It is important to check if the wood pellets you are buying carry a PFI standard quality mark to ensure they are reliable and efficient.
Price (Value For Money)
Although wood pellet prices vary, you can typically find a 40-pound bag of premium quality wood pellets anywhere between $5 to $7.
The cost of a bag fluctuates according to the season. If you buy the required wood pellets from the local supplier, chances are you may get them at a better rate.
But if you want value for money, you should buy in bulk. Many homeowners buy wood pellets in large quantities and use them year-round.
6 Best Wood Pellets For Heating Reviewed
1. US Stove Company HCHP40
Best Wood Pellets for Wood Pellet Stoves
| Size | 27 x 15 x 6.5 inches |
| Moisture | 10-28% |
| Ash | |
| Type of Wood | Oak hardwood |
| Certified | PFI certified |
If you are looking for the best wood pellets for wood pellet stoves, look no further than the US Stove hardwood pellets!
These hardwood pellets are specially designed to provide you and your loved ones adequate heat to keep you cozy during cold, chilly winters.
These high-quality wood pellets from the US Stove Company are made of 100% recycled natural oak hardwood fiber, combining soft and hardwood. In addition to that, they have no adhesive additives or chemicals.
Thanks to their premium quality fibers, these oak hardwood pellets contain low ash and moisture content, making them one of the best and most efficient wood pellet fuels available on the market.
We particularly liked these US Stove wood pellets because they burn efficiently and cleaner than most other options. This means you will have more heat with little ash, mess, or smoke.
Also, each pound of these high-quality wood pellets generates an impressive heating capacity of about 8000-9000BTUs.
These wood pellets come with PFI certification – fulfilling demanding industry standards – so the chances of accidents are significantly reduced.
Lastly, with US Stove Company, you will obtain 40lbs of pellet fuel. All in all, these wood pellets are ideal for use in home stoves, furnace, heater, or boiler.
What We Like
- Clean burning
- Efficient
- PFI certified
- 100% natural hardwood
- No chemical and additives
What We Don’t Like
- compared
2. HY-C FG-P20
Best Wood Pellets for Outdoor Heating
| Size | 13 x 21 x 5 inches |
| Moisture | 5-10% |
| Ash | Minimum allergen-free |
| Type of Wood | Hardwood |
| Certified | No |
The HY-C FG-P20 are the best wood pellets for outdoor heating, as they enhance the environment with a soft, smoky aroma.
They are specifically designed for people who want to avoid strong smells around the house while using their wood pellet stoves.
Plus, the HY-C FG-P20 wood pellets create a safe and clean fire, so you don’t have to worry about enlarging your carbon footprint.
While providing the essential outdoor heating in the winters, these high-quality wood pellets are also incredibly affordable. This means that you can buy as much as you want without any hassle and ensure premium quality clean fire.
In addition to that, unlike the majority of other options available on the market that burn faster, they provide a slow burn and last longer.
It provides allergy-free fire as it is made using all-natural 100% hardwood and comes with no binders or glue. Additionally, with only 5-10% moisture content and ash, these pellets are an efficient fuel for your wood pellet stoves.
Most homeowners find it extremely hard to find the right wood pellets for wood pellet stoves. The good news is that with HY-C FG P20 wood pellets, you will get the desired heat with a slightly smoky aroma.
What We Like
- Allergy-free
- 100% natural hardwood
- Clean fire
- 5-10% moisture content
- No binders and glues
What We Don’t Like
- It doesn’t come with a PFI certification
3. Bear Mountain BBQ
Best Wood Pellets for Cooking
| Size | 14 x 4 x 20 inches |
| Moisture | 5-10% |
| Ash | Less than 0.5% |
| Type of Wood | Hardwood |
| Certified | PFI certified |
The Bear Mountain BBQ wood pellets are a high-quality option that can complement your wood pellet stove, and they offer credible cooking and heating results.
No matter who you are, if you’re cold, these are an ideal choice for you!
Specifically made of 100% all-natural hardwood, these wood pellets create the perfect blend of smokiness and flavor to enhance your cooking experience and add to your food’s flavor profile.
They are perfect for pellet grills, stoves, and smokers, which is why we ranked Bear Mountain BBQ as the best wood pellets for cooking in our review.
It provides clean and safe fire due to its pure organic form, and in addition to that, it doesn’t contain any binding agent, additives, fillers, or chemicals. This is why you can also use these wood pellets for heating purposes during the winter season.
Bear Mountain BBQ is a fan favorite for heating and cooking purposes alike.
Additionally, we liked that these wood pellets can be blended with various wood pellets such as maple, apple, and cherry to activate and infuse a sugary taste to the flavor.
You can also use these premium quality wood pellets to enhance the tenderness of lamb, beef, vegetables, and seafood.
What We Like
- Robust smoky flavor
- 100% all-natural high-quality hardwood
- Low-moisture
- Very little ash
- No artificial fillers and binders
What We Don’t Like
- Not an alternative for the charcoal grilling
4. Wood Sawdust Pellets
Best Premium Hardwood Fuel Pellets
| Size | 27.56 x 15.75 x 3.94 inches |
| Moisture | 10-15% |
| Ash | Less than 0.7 |
| Type of Wood | Hardwood |
| Certified | No |
If you want wood pellets that are good on heat output, high-quality, smokeless, and eco-friendly, the Wood Sawdust pellets are what you need!
Although some people consider these expensive, they are your best bet if you want to protect your heating equipment.
This low ash and high-heat option from Sawdust is unquestionably the best premium hardwood fuel pellets for your pellet stove. They will ensure burning at significantly high BTUs for a good amount of time.
Furthermore, they are made using a high-quality hardwood blend. This blend results in wood pellets that are highly efficient and offer clean and hot-burning without any harmful emissions. They also produce low carbon.
As a result, they are the ideal pellets to use in any wood burner and will provide adequate heating during winters.
In addition to that, we liked the fact that these pellets from Wood Sawdust don’t create any chimney issues. They work perfectly well with fireplace insert or vent-less wood pellet stoves because these premium pellets are pollution-free and smoke-free and generate minimum ash.
Overall, these wood pellets are reliable, renewable, and high-grade. Not only does the 40-pound bag produce intense heat, but it can also be easily discarded since they turn into sawdust.
What We Like
- Perfect wood pellet fuel for wood-burners
- Premium hardwood blend
- Offers clean and safe burning
- Produces high-heat with little to no ash
What We Don’t Like
- Some users considered it a bit expensive
5. Stove Chow Premium Wood Pellet Fuel
Pick from Home Depot
| Size | 6″ (L) x 4″ (W) x 24″ (H) |
| Moisture | |
| Ash | Less than 1% |
| Type of Wood | Hardwood |
| Certified | PFI certified |
This premium wood pellet fuel from Home Depot is eco-friendly, offers less smoke and ash, and produces clean fire.
If you are looking for the best pellets for your wood pellet stove from Home Depot, your search stops with the Stove Chow Premium Wood Pellet Fuel.
This product is specifically designed to provide adequate heat during the winter season; these wood pellets are the perfect heating fuel with their enhanced BTU heating capacity.
They are also crafted using 100% all-natural hardwood pellets, with little to no additives or binders. This means that with Stove Chow wood pellet fuel, you get organic wood pellets that can be used in fireplace inserts, freestanding stoves, boilers, and furnaces.
In addition to that, these wood pellets contain an extremely small percentage of moisture content, making ignition quick, simple, and hassle-free.
We liked the fact that this wood pellet produces very little ash because that makes cleaning a breeze. Therefore, with Stove Chow Wood pellets, you don’t have to worry about creating a mess out of soot and ash as you use them in your wood pellet stove.
Lastly, these wood pellets provide more heat per pound than the majority of other options on the market.
What We Like
- Additional heat on each pound of a total 40-pound bag
- 100% all-natural hardwood
- Generates little ash for simple cleanup
- Low moisture for speedy ignition
What We Don’t Like
- Comparatively pricier than other similar wood pellets
6. PIT BOSS 55436
Best Wood Pellet for Grilling
| Size | 18 x 26 x 5 inches |
| Moisture | |
| Ash | less than 1% |
| Type of Wood | Oak and Mesquite hardwood |
| Certified | No |
If you seek the best wood pellets for grilling and cooking but are not sure which wood pellets would be most suitable, choose the PIT BOSS BBQ Wood Pellets!
This product is expertly made using the best and most high-quality hardwood pellets that are 100% natural. These wood pellets produce a unique and versatile blend that works exceptionally well for a broad range of cooking methods.
As a result, these pellets create a mild and sweet taste, perfect for chicken, fish, pork, baking products, and vegetables.
Comes in a 40-pound bag, this PIT BOSS option has utilized a 25% cherry, 25% hickory, and 50% maple blend to produce a one-of-a-kind tart, sweet, and savory flavor combination.
Furthermore, these BBQ wood pellets also feature a pleasant and rich hickory aroma ideal for smoking and roasting your favorite food, especially meat.
This versatility during cooking makes this product an absolute necessity for individuals who love spending time in the kitchen or hosting BBQs. Plus, their functional excellence at warming up the house is beyond impressive.
We particularly liked these wood pellets because they produce less than 1% ash, which means that a 40-pound bag of premium Oak Hardwood will result in a mere half-cup of ash.
In addition to that, they contain no artificial flavors, chemicals, glues, or spray scents.
What We Like
- 100% all-natural oak and Mesquite hardwood pellets
- Easy to use
- Generates less than 1% ash for easy cleanup
- Burn cleaner and hotter
- Contains no artificial flavors, chemicals, glues, or spray scents
What We Don’t Like
- Few users complained the pellets are powdery
Different Types Of Wood Pellets Explained
Premium
Premium or high-quality wood pellets have considerably less organic ash than other types of wood pellets. Normally, the ash count is lower than 0.5%.
These wood pellets are typically crafted from the log’s center and contain no bark content.
They are generally made from maple and oak and cost a lot more than other options on the market.
Standard
Standard quality pellets are commonly produced from forest industry waste.
These types of wood pellets have more ash content, ranging anywhere above 0.5%.
Though they are basic pellets that provide enhanced warmth plus, they lack any added aroma.
Food Grade
The standard and premium-quality wood pellets can also be termed food-grade if they also lack a binding agent or additives.
This makes wood pellets safe for baking, cooking, smoking, and grilling.
How To Check Quality Of Wood Pellets?
If you’re using a wood pellet stove for home heating, you can assess wood pellets’ quality at a glance!
Here is how to separate good quality wood pellets from the bad ones:
- Check if they have a smooth surface and no cracks.
- Premium quality wood pellets will emit a fresh and pleasant wood smell
- If the fire color is similar to regular wood flames, then your wood pellets are of high quality. If not, your wood pellets contain additives
- Check for the PFI certification mark — all high-quality, pure wood pellets carry this mark
Safety Tips When Using Wood Pellets For Heating
Setting up a wood pellet stove for heating is becoming very popular among homeowners.
Though it’s a good alternative to wood or gas heat, there are a few safety tips you need to remember:
- Make sure whatever you insert is a burnable substance
- Install your wood pellet in a place far away from any combustible objects or furniture
- Set up a carbon-monoxide detector within 9ft of your wood pellet stove to ensure that there’s no leakage
- Regularly clean your wood stove’s window and feed areas
- Ensure that hopper, auger, pressure switches, electrical switches, wiring, igniter, vacuum, electrical and pressure sensors, and combustion motor are working properly
- Go through the instruction manual thoroughly
People Also Ask (FAQ)
How Are Wood Pellets Made?
They are made using dried biomass that is in a powdered form. This is put through a pellet dye at considerably high pressure and temperature.
How Can I Store Wood Pellets?
The ideal place to store wood pellets is either the basement or garage. Make sure the area is dry and isn’t vulnerable to flooding.
Are Wood Pellets Safe To Use?
Burning wood pellets is a safe home heating method, as they burn efficiently and cleanly.
However, when stored in a warm place, they can produce carbon monoxide.
How Do You Safely Light Wood Pellets?
Here’s how you can safely light wood pellets:
- Fill the wood pellet stove with pellets; while the hopper is switched off
- Choose your preferred heat setting
- Turn it on
- Adjust the blower speed
What Does Reclaimed Feedstock Mean?
Reclaimed feedstock or chemical recycling is used to change the chemical structure of plastic pollution or plastic waste and convert them into smaller molecules, making them ready for new reactions.
How Much Do Wood Pellets Cost Per Pound?
20 to 40-pound wood pellet bags can easily cost you an average of $5 per bag.
Can You Make Your Own Wood Pellets?
You can make wood pellets at your house by breaking wood into smaller pieces while pressing it into the dense pellets.
Conclusion
All the products we reviewed are some of the best wood pellets for home heating available on the market. Plus, you can use them for grilling and cooking purposes.
Though we stand by all our selections, our top pick is US Stove Company HCHP40!
